New Study Suggests Concerts, Movie Theaters Could Still See Attendance Drop Post-Coronavirus

If you thought people would want to flock to concerts and movie theaters once the Coronavirus pandemic passes, you might be surprised by this new study.

Per Variety, a study from sports and events research firm Performance Research found when surveying 1,000 consumers in the United States that "44% of respondents said they would attend fewer large public events, even once they are cleared by the CDC, with 38% saying they’d attend about the same number, and 18% saying they’d attend more. And 47% agreed that the idea of going to a major public event 'will scare me for a long time.'"

The above numbers were just an overall response to all large public gatherings, but the study broke down responses by venue and event type, including concert venues, movie theaters, sporting arenas, theme parks and various outdoor parks/beaches/sporting venues. Those surveyed were more comfortable returning to outdoor parks/beaches/venues, with more than half surveyed saying they would return to those gatherings "right away" or "within a few weeks" of being not having to social distance.

Movie theaters, however, might still be relatively empty once social distancing orders are lifted. A whopping 49% said it would take them "a few months" to "possibly never" to go to a movie theater again, while 28% said that even when it's safe to gather again, they'd go to the movie theater less often. There was also a similar response to those returning to indoor concert venues and sports arenas and theme parks. About half of respondents said it would take them "a few months" to "possibly never" to go back to these gathering spaces.